DDI Survey Sheds Light on Common Hiring Practices and
Mistakes

August 18, 2004 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - With hiring on
the rebound after a number of lackluster years, a new survey
by Development Dimensions International (DDI) sheds lights on
common hiring practices, as well as what employers should and
should not do when selecting new employees.

DDI, a global human resource consulting firm
headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found that,
above all else, hiring managers are looking for employees
able to work well within a team setting. Seventy-five
percent of the 1,515 managers polled demanded such a
quality, whereas only 20% look for employees who display
ambition.

“In today’s working environment, very little is
accomplished without strong collaboration,” Scott Erker,
DDI’s vice president of selection solutions, stated in a
press release. “Overly ambitious hires will often only look
out for themselves, which can harm team productivity and
morale.” DDI’s survey also found that nearly 60% of
employers would be turned off by inarticulateness, while
only 15% would be turned off by a potential employee who
was late to an interview or who lacked knowledge of the
company.

Erker also stressed that that survey’s results show
common mistakes made by employers in a rush to fill a
position. Hiring managers need to be thorough in their
search, not so much relying on their gut feeling as on
questions asked of the candidate in order to discover their
motivations for wanting such a job. “The cost of a bad hire
is much higher than the cost of leaving the role open for a
few more weeks,” stated Erker. “Develop and follow a
consistent hiring procedure. Don’t rely solely on your gut,
which hiring managers often do when they are in a hurry.
You can accelerate the process to save time, but don’t skip
steps.” Asking difficult questions now, it seems, is more
productive in the long-term than skipping over important
steps and deliberations in the hiring process.